高齢者・認知症ケアへのコミュニケーションロボットの活用に関する文献レビュー

抄録

As the proportion of the population of retirement age or older continues to grow in Japan, several social problems are projected to arise such as the shortage of health and social care resources. Technology such as robots is expected to provide support for elderly individuals with age-related challenges by enhancing their well-being and helping them to live as independently as possible while remaining in their homes. In this article, we organize previous studies on communication robots (also called “social robots”) that are used to support the emotional, cognitive, and physical care of elderly individuals with or without cognitive decline. First, we present various roles of communication robots and their impact on elderly individuals. Second, we present studies regarding the acceptance, needs, and perception of elderly individuals and their informal and formal caregivers on communication robots. We will present some studies that utilized a “user-centered design,” which reflects the voices of the end users, in the process of developing the robots. Finally, we describe several issues in the use and development of communication robots such as safety, ethics, and the autonomy of elderly individuals.